"We found very little evidence that it was the physical environment causing obesity," says Professor Andrew Plantinga, one of the Oregon State University researchers who conducted the study. "Rather, it seemed to be more about how people choose the types of neighborhoods to live in."
The study by Plantinga, a professor of agriculture and resource economics, and Stephanie Bernell, who works in the OSU department of public health, looked at the relationship between urban sprawl and neighborhood choice based on weight, measured as body mass index or BMI. It is published in the Journal of Regional Science.
The researchers found that fit people choose to live in neighborhoods that allow them to walk to work or shop and fat people pick places where they need a car, according to The Associated Press.
The study was adjusted to eliminate differences due to income and other factors.
Plantinga says the studies don't mean mixed-use development is a bad idea. Reducing sprawl has other benefits, such as reduced traffic and fuel use, he says.
"I think there are lots of really good reasons why you might want to pursue smart growth policies," Plantinga says. "But I think that we have to be careful in thinking that smart growth can deliver health benefits, as people have been suggesting. The public health benefits may in fact be very limited."
